Quick connect fluid conduit connector having latch with integral spring arms for button release

ABSTRACT

A male connector includes a shaft including a distal end portion and a proximal end portion. The shaft defines a lumen extending between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion. The distal end portion includes a sealing member that engages a female connector to create a fluid-tight seal when the distal end portion of the male connector is inside the female connector, a latch catch groove proximal to the sealing member, a grip extending from an outer surface of at least part of the shaft, and at least one lug extending distally from the grip partially along the outer surface of the shaft. The latch catch groove engages a latch of the female connector to retain the distal end portion of the male connector inside the female connector. The proximal end portion includes a barb that engages a section of tubing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/474,676, filed Sep. 2, 2014, and published as U.S. Patent App. Pub.No. 2015/0076815 on Mar. 19, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent App. No. 61/877,673, filed Sep. 13, 2013, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to fluid conduit connectors, andmore particularly, to male and female components of a fluid conduitconnector having latching and/or locking features to retain the male andfemale components together.

BACKGROUND

A variety of quick connect/disconnect coupling assemblies for smallflexible tubing applications and other fluid conduit applications areknown for use when multiple sections of fluid conduit or tubing need tobe connected together. For example, such coupling assemblies areutilized for bio-medical applications, convenience handling, beveragedispensing, instrument connections, photochemical handling, etc. Thecoupling assemblies typically include male and female connectorcomponents that releasably couple to each other to retain the multiplesections of fluid conduit or tubing in fluid communication. Typically,these male and female connector components are subject to axial and sideloads applied to one or both of the multiple sections of fluid conduitor tubing. In addition, the male and female connector components mustremain secured together in a sealed relationship regardless of theloading applied, and preferably until a user intentionally actuates thedisconnection of the male and female connector components from oneanother.

One particular known design for the male and female connector componentsincludes a latch on one of these components that engages with a latchcatch on the other of these components to secure the fluid conduitconnector together. The latch is biased to a latched position by springelements in some embodiments. As a result, both the latch and the springelements must be assembled to one of the male and female connectorcomponents, and this can be a time-consuming and expensive manufacturingprocess. Moreover, if the latch and spring elements are not preciselyaligned and connected to the connector component, the fluid conduitconnector will likely fail when presented with loading in one or both ofthe axial and side load directions. In an effort to add security to thelatched connection between the male and female connector components,some fluid conduit connectors are manufactured such that even theintentional unlatching and disconnection of the connector components isexceedingly difficult to perform.

For reasons such as these, there is a need for a quick connect fluidconduit connector that offers improved coupling security, simplifiedoperation, and decreased manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a quick connect fluid conduit connector includes amale connector component and a female connector component configured tobe coupled to one another. The male connector component includes a maledistal end configured to receive a seal member, a first fluid conduitdefined by a first elongate bore extending from the male distal end, anda latch catch groove adjacent to a radially projecting latching flangewhich is located proximal from the male distal end. The female connectorcomponent includes a connector housing defining a female distal end anda receptacle extending proximally from an opening in the female distalend, a second fluid conduit defined by a second elongate bore, and alatch operatively engaged with the connector housing and configured toretain the male connector component. The latch includes a release buttonpositioned along a top side of the connector housing, a latch plateextending from the release button at least partially across saidreceptacle so as to latch into engagement with the male connectorcomponent, and at least one spring arm integrally formed as a unitarypiece with the release button and extending into the connector housing.Engaged with the connector housing, the spring arm biases the latchtowards a latched position in which the latch plate engages the latchcatch groove to prevent removal of the male connector component from thereceptacle. The release button is configured to be depressed into theconnector housing to move the latch against the bias and towards anunlatched position in which the latch plate disengages from the latchcatch groove. Furthermore, the female connector component also includesa lock mechanism having a lock slider operatively engaged with thelatch. The lock slider is movable between a locked position, in whichmovement of the latch towards the unlatched position is prevented, andan unlocked position where operation of the latch is unaffected.

According to one aspect, the latch includes multiple spring armsintegrally formed with the release button, such that a redundant biasforce is applied to the latch towards the latched position. As a result,the fluid conduit connector enables easy one-step assembly of the latchwith the female connector component and protection against failuremodes. The receptacle also includes a tapered lead-in bore section thatextends proximally from the latch plate. The tapered lead-in boresection reduces any frictional engagement between the receptacle and theseal member on the male distal end during insertion or removal of themale connector component. Therefore, the male and female connectorcomponents are easier to move when a user intends to connect ordisconnect the corresponding fluid conduits.

The male and female connector components also include features thatassist with transfer or bearing of loads applied to the connectorcomponents. To this end, the opening in the female distal end is boundedby a generally annular periphery and the male connector componentincludes a plurality of lugs that are positioned to engage thisgenerally annular periphery when the male and female connectorcomponents are secured together. The plurality of lugs are positionedproximal to the latch catch groove, which is how the lugs are accuratelylocated relative to the opening in the female distal end, which is alsopositioned adjacent to the latch plate that enters the latch catchgroove. The lugs are configured to transfer radial or side loads fromone connector component to the other. Adjacent to the lugs on the maleconnector component is a radially extending grip flange. This gripflange is positioned adjacent to or in abutting relation with the femaledistal end when the male and female connector components are securedtogether. As a result, the grip flange and female distal end transferaxial loads between the connector components. This at least partialbearing of loads protects the latch from having to bear all loadsapplied to the fluid conduit connector.

The latch plate includes an occluding portion that extends at leastpartially across the receptacle in the latched position, and this latchplate is also engaged with a latch track formed by standoffs in theconnector housing to prevent the latch from moving upwardly beyond thelatched position. More specifically, the latch track includes detentsthat opposing projections of the latch plate snap into engagement withduring assembly of the latch with the remainder of the female connectorcomponent. This latch track also ensures that the latch plate and therelease button move upwardly and downwardly in a transverse direction toan axial movement direction of the male connector component.

The connector housing is provided with a clean and smooth contouredappearance that provides beneficial operation for a user of the fluidconduit connector. To this end, the connector housing includes acontoured button shroud defining a top side of the connector housingthat surrounds any sharp edges and corners presented by the releasebutton. By eliminating any exposed pinch points or sharp contours, themale and female connector components are less likely to be caught on auser's clothing or other equipment. The connector housing also defines afinger groove opposite the release button to provide relatively largegripping surfaces for the user to operate the female connector componentand latch with a single hand. Thus, a sensation or impression of needingless force to actuate the release button is provided to the user.

In some aspects, at least one lock lug extends downwardly from the lockslider through lug apertures provided in a modified release button. Thelock lugs include a retention detent that snaps into engagement with afin or some other shoulder provided adjacent to the lug apertures tothereby hold the lock mechanism on the latch. The lock lugs arepositioned directly over a standoff inside the connector housing in thelocked position, and the engagement of the lock lugs with this standoffprevents operation of the latch in the locked position. The lock lugsare spaced from that standoff in the unlocked position so that the locklugs and the release button of the latch are free to move downwardlytowards the unlatched position.

The lock mechanism may include visual indicia on one or both of therelease button and the lock slider, to thereby provide information to auser on what state the lock mechanism is in. The lock mechanism alsoincludes a spring pin that extends downwardly from the lock slider intoengagement with a shaped aperture provided in the modified releasebutton. The shaped aperture or the spring pin must be deformed to movethe lock slider between the two positions (locked and unlocked). As aresult, the lock mechanism avoids accidental engagement ordisengagement, thereby enhancing the operability of the lock mechanismand also of the fluid conduit connector.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become morereadily apparent during the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the drawings herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a quick connect fluid conduit connectoraccording to a first embodiment of the present invention, with male andfemale connector components engaged with one another.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the fluid conduit connector of FIG. 1,where the male and female connector components have been disconnectedfrom one another.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the male connector component of FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the female connector component of FIG.2, with the view partially sectioned along line 4-4 in FIG. 2 to revealinternal components of a connector housing and a latch of the femaleconnector component.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional end view of the female connector componentalong line 5-5 in FIG. 2, thereby revealing additional aspects of thelatch and connector housing also shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid conduit connector ofFIG. 1, showing internal features of the male and female connectorcomponents following insertion of the male connector component into areceptacle of the female connector component, including a latch in alatched position.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid conduit connector ofFIG. 6 following a depressing of the latch downwardly to an unlatchedposition.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional side view of the fluid conduit connector ofFIG. 7A during removal of the male connector component back out of thereceptacle of the female connector component.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a female connector component accordingto a second embodiment of the present invention, the female connectorcomponent including a latch and a lock mechanism shown in an unlockedposition.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the female connector component of FIG. 8with the lock mechanism moved to a locked position.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional top view of the female connector componentof FIG. 8 along line 10-10 to show features of the lock mechanisminteracting with features of the latch in the unlocked position.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional top view of the female connector componentof FIG. 9 along line 11-11 to show features of the lock mechanisminteracting with features of the latch in the locked position.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the female connector componentof FIG. 8 along line 12-12 to show features of the lock mechanisminteracting with features of a connector housing in the unlockedposition.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view of the female connector componentof FIG. 9 along line 13-13 to show features of the lock mechanisminteracting with features of a connector housing in the locked position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 7B, a quick connect fluid conduit connector10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention isoptimized to retain a male connector component 12 and a female connectorcomponent 14 together regardless of any axial or side loading applied totubing or flexible conduits that may be coupled to the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14. To this end, the female connector component14 includes a latch 16 that reliably retains the male connectorcomponent 12 in various operating conditions while making simple theprocess for disconnecting the male and female connector components 12,14 from each other. Furthermore, the male and female connectorcomponents 12, 14 are designed for quick and simple manufacturing, andthese elements include redundant structures to minimize the likelihoodof failure during operation. Accordingly, the fluid conduit connector 10provides several advantages compared to known connector assemblies.

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14 of this embodiment of the fluid conduitconnector 10 are shown in a connected state as well as a disconnectedstate. The male connector component 12 includes a first fluid conduit 20defined by a first elongate bore 22 extending along an axial orlongitudinal length of the male connector component 12. To this end, thefirst elongate bore 22 extends from a male distal end 24 to a maleproximal end 26 of the male connector component 12. The male proximalend 26 of the male connector component 12 includes a conventional hosebarb 28 or some other similar structure for connecting to and retaininga portion of flexible tubing or similar fluid conduits (not shown).Thus, the male connector component 12 becomes an end piece of theportion of flexible tubing when that flexible tubing is connected to thehose barb 28 at the male proximal end 26.

It will be appreciated that the use of the terms “distal and proximal”throughout this specification and the claims is intended to provide aframe of reference for each element of these male and female connectorcomponents 12, 14. More specifically, “distal” refers to a directiontowards the other connector component 12, 14 when the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14 are secured to each other, and thisdirection is also away from the portion of flexible tubing or conduitthat is coupled to the male or female connector component 12, 14.Likewise, “proximal” refers to a direction away from the other connectorcomponent 12, 14 and towards the connected portion of flexible tubing orconduit. Furthermore, “axial” is used to refer to lengths and movementsalong or parallel to a longitudinal axis through the male and femaleconnector component 12, 14, while “radial” is used to refer to adirection perpendicular to the axial direction.

Returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, the female connector component 14 includes asecond fluid conduit 30 defined by a second elongate bore 32. The femaleconnector component 14 also includes a connector housing 34, which iswhere the latch 16 briefly described above is located. The connectorhousing 34 is a generally hollow body defining a female distal end 36with an opening 38 that provides access into a receptacle 40 extendingaxially into the connector housing 34. The receptacle 40 is elongate andis configured to receive the male distal end 24 of the male connectorcomponent 12. In this regard, the receptacle 40 extends from the opening38 proximally into fluid communication with the second elongate bore 32.Similarly, the second fluid conduit 30 extends between a proximal face42 of the connector housing 34 and a female proximal end 44 of thefemale connector component 14, which includes a conventional hose barb28 or similar structure just like the male proximal end 26. After themale and female connector components 12, 14 are secured to one another,the flexible tubing or conduit (not shown) connected to each of the hosebarbs 28 is brought into fluid communication via the first and secondelongate bores 22, 32, which collectively extend between the hose barbs28 in the assembled state shown in FIG. 1. As such, the fluid conduitconnector 10 provides a simple-to-use two-component sealed connectionbetween two portions of flexible tubing or conduits.

Each of the male and female connector components 12, 14 includestructural features configured to enhance the ability of a user to holdand actuate the connection and disconnection of the fluid conduitconnector 10. More particularly, the male connector component 12includes a radially extending grip flange 48 located about halfway alongthe length between the male distal end 24 and the male proximal end 26.The grip flange 48 in the illustrated embodiment is shaped substantiallyas a cylindrical or annular plate having relatively large distal andproximal faces 50, 52 and a contoured edge 54 extending between thedistal face 50 and proximal face 52. The contoured edge 54 includes aseries of about ten concave or flat finger grips 56 around a generallyannular periphery. It will be understood that while the grip flange 48is shown with the cylindrical shape and ten finger grips 56 in thisembodiment, the shape and the number of finger grips may be modified inother embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Auser may readily grasp the male connector component 12 at the gripflange 48 in order to move the male connector component 12 towards andaway from engagement with the female connector component 14.

The female connector component 14 is also optimized for manual grasping,specifically at the connector housing 34. The connector housing 34 has agenerally U-shaped cross section extending along an axial length betweena distal face 60 located at the female distal end 36 and the proximalface 42 at the opposite end of the connector housing 34. Thus, theconnector housing 34 includes a generally flat top side 62 defined by abutton shroud 64 surrounding a generally planar release button 66 of thelatch 16, a rounded bottom surface 68, and generally planar sidewalls 70extending between the button shroud 64 and the rounded bottom surface68. The rounded bottom surface 68 further includes a finger groove 72projecting inwardly towards the top side 62 of the connector housing 34.The finger groove 72 is shaped and sized to receive one or more fingersof a user when the user manually grasps the female connector component14, thereby enhancing the grip available when moving the femaleconnector component 14. To this end, the shape of the finger groove 72is tailored to encourage proper finger placement for a user grasping thefemale connector component 14. Additionally, the finger groove 72 isconveniently located opposite the release button 66 of the latch 16 sothat a user can be provided with a suitable grip for generating leveragewhen actuating the latch 16 by depressing the release button 66.

Each of the release button 66 and the finger groove 72 advantageouslyextends over a relatively large portion or majority of the axial lengthof the connector housing 34 as defined between the proximal face 42 andthe distal face 60. The relatively large size of the release button 66and the finger groove 72 provide broad surface areas for actuating thelatch 16 as described in further detail below, leading to a smootherbutton operation with perceived less force needing to be applied (thelatch opening force is applied over a larger surface area, therebygiving a sensation or impression to the user of a lower force over alarger area). With one hand on the grip flange 48 of the male connectorcomponent 12 and another hand on the finger groove 72 and release button66, a typical user will be enabled to easily control operation andmovement to connect and disconnect the fluid conduit connector 10.

The connector housing 34 of the female connector component 14 is alsocontoured to enhance a user's ability to manually grasp and reliablyoperate the fluid conduit connector 10. More specifically, the variousedges between the proximal face 42, sidewalls 70, bottom surface 68, anddistal face 60 are all rounded to avoid presenting any sharp corners oredges that clothing or other equipment may become caught on. Similarly,the interfaces of the connector housing 34 with the finger groove 72,the second fluid conduit 30, and the release button 66 are also roundedand present no sharp corners or edges. For example, the release button66 includes generally sharp corners and edges 74 around a periphery ofthe planar release button 66 in the illustrated embodiment, but thesesharp corners and edges 74 are surrounded and substantially covered bythe contoured button shroud 64. Thus, the connector housing 34 isprovided with a smooth, clean appearance while also functionallyprotecting from exposing sharp edges 74 or pinch points that wouldotherwise be potential problem zones when using the fluid conduitconnector 10 and during movement of the latch 16 between latched andunlatched positions. It will be understood that the particular contouredprofile of the connector housing 34 may be altered in other embodimentsconsistent with the present invention.

With specific reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the external profile andfeatures of the male connector component 12 used with this embodiment ofthe fluid conduit connector 10 are shown. These external features arethe relevant distinguishing features provided on the male connectorcomponent 12, as the first elongate bore 22 is substantially continuousand uninterrupted along the entire axial length of the male connectorcomponent 12. Furthermore, these features described below are tailoredto be handled by the user or interact with the latch 16 and the femaleconnector component 14 to thereby produce the sealed coupling of tubingor conduits connected to the hose barbs 28 of the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14.

Starting at the male distal end 24, the male connector component 12includes a distal surface 80 defining an opening 82 into the firstelongate bore 22 and a seal flange 84 defined by an outer periphery ofthe male distal end 24 extending proximal from the distal surface 80.The seal flange 84 includes an annular seal groove 86 configured toreceive a seal member 88 therein. In the embodiments of the fluidconduit connector 10 shown, the seal member 88 is an elastomeric O-ringseal, although it will be understood that other types and materials ofseals may be used for the seal member 88. This seal member 88 isconfigured to engage into sealed contact with the receptacle 40 in thefemale connector component 14 when the male and female connectorcomponents 12, 14 are secured to each other. As described in furtherdetail below, the seal member 88 therefore prevents leakage of fluids orpressure moving through the first and second elongate bores 22, 32 whenthe fluid conduit connector 10 is fully assembled.

Continuing in a proximal direction from the seal member 88 and sealgroove 86, the seal flange 84 is connected to a latching flange 90 by aseries of ribs 92 or other structure forming a generally continuousradial dimension or profile for the first fluid conduit 20 between thedistal surface 80 and the latching flange 90. The latching flange 90defines a shoulder 94 delimiting one side of a latch catch groove 96formed on the male connector component 12. The latch catch groove 96 isdelimited on an opposite side by a plurality of lugs 98 proximal to thelatch catch groove 96 and projecting radially outwardly from the firstfluid conduit 20. The latch catch groove 96 is positioned to receive aportion of the latch 16 to prevent further relative movements of themale and female connector components 12, 14 after the assembly of thefluid conduit connector 10. As discussed above, the seal flange 84, ribs92, and latching flange 90 form a generally continuous radial profile sothat the relevant portion of the latch 16 may ride over these elementswithout becoming stuck before the latch 16 engages with the latch catchgroove 96. It will be understood that the specific shapes of the sealflange 84, latching flange 90, and ribs 92 may be modified in otherembodiments and also that the ribs 92 may be replaced by alternativestructure extending between the flanges 84, 90 without departing fromthe scope of the invention.

The plurality of lugs 98 delimiting the other side of the latch catchgroove 96 are also positioned adjacent to the distal face 50 of the gripflange 48. As a result, the lugs 98 and the grip flange 48 arepositioned at the opening 38 into the receptacle 40 and at the distalface 60 of the connector housing 34, respectively, when the fluidconduit connector 10 is assembled by latching the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14 together. This arrangement of the lugs 98and the grip flange 48 provides potential structural connections of themale and female connector components 12, 14 that may be used to transfersome axial and side loading on these connector components 12, 14 withoutrelying on just the latch 16 and latch catch groove 96 to transfer thoseloads. More particularly, the lugs 98 engage or contact a slightlyconical annular periphery 100 presented by the opening 38 at the femaledistal end 36 to at least partially transfer loads when one or both ofthe male and female connector components 12, 14 is subject to sideloading. Similarly, the distal face 50 of the grip flange 48 ispositioned to engage or contact the distal face 60 of the connectorhousing 34 to at least partially transfer loads when one or both of themale and female connector components 12, 14 is subject to axial loading.It will be understood that while four lugs 98 are shown in thisexemplary embodiment of the male connector component 12, more or fewerlugs 98 may be provided in other embodiments.

Now with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, additional features of the latch 16and the connector housing 34 of the female connector component 14 areshown. As discussed briefly above, the connector housing 34 is asubstantially hollow body defined by a hollow receptacle 40 extendingaxially and located within an interior cavity 106 which is bounded bythe proximal face 42, the distal face 60, the sidewalls 70, and therounded bottom surface 68 of the connector housing 34. The interiorcavity 106 is larger than the receptacle 40, which forms a clearanceconfigured to receive portions of the latch 16 described below. Withinthis interior cavity 106, a pair of standoffs 108 is located justproximally from the female distal end 36. The standoffs 108 could bereplaced by a single standoff in other embodiments. The pair ofstandoffs 108 radially inward facing surfaces 110 defining a latch track112 configured to receive a portion of the latch 16. The latch track 112includes opposing detents 114 or shoulders used to retain the latch 16as described in further detail below. The latch track 112 is positionedin an axial gap located between the female distal end 36 (and itsopening 38) and the receptacle 40, this axial gap sized to receive aportion of the latch 16.

The standoffs 108 also extend outwardly from the receptacle 40 andinwardly from the sidewalls 70 of the connector housing 34, and therebyalso include an abutment surface 116 facing proximally towards theinterior cavity 106 surrounding the receptacle 40. The abutment surface116 is also configured to interact with yet another portion of the latch16, as described below. The precise positioning of the standoffs 108with the inwardly facing surfaces 110 and the abutment surface 116 isshown in further detail in the cross sections shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The latch 16 includes the release button 66 located along andsubstantially surrounded by the flat top side 62 of the connectorhousing 34. The latch 16 also includes a latch plate 120 that extendsdownwardly from the release button 66 adjacent to the female distal end36 so as to extend through the axial gap defined by the latch track 112.Also extending downwardly from the release button 66 on either lateralside of the receptacle 40 are two spring arms 122 integrally formed withthe remainder of the latch 16. To this end, the components of the latch16 (e.g., the release button 66, the latch plate 120 and the spring arms122) are unitarily formed as a single piece out of a material with someinherent resiliency, such as plastics or composites. In someembodiments, the latch 16 may be molded as an integral piece frompolycarbonate and/or polypropylene materials. Similar materials are alsoused for the male and female connector components 12, 14 as well in thisembodiment. The inherent resiliency of the material used to form thelatch 16 results in the spring arms 122 providing a restoring or biasingforce when deflected from an original position. To this end, the springarms 122 avoid the requirement for separate metallic or other springs tobe positioned between the latch 16 and the connector housing 34.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the spring arms 122 extend in agenerally linear but slightly curved orientation and away from therelease button 66. The spring arms 122 each include a first end 124connected to the release button 66 adjacent to the proximal face 42 ofthe connector housing 34. Therefore, the spring arms 122 projectdownwardly and distally to form a generally V-shaped cross section ofthe latch 16 at the spring arms 122. The free second ends 126 of thespring arms 122 are forced into engagement with at least one of theabutment surfaces 116 defined by the standoffs 108 within the interiorcavity 106 and pad surfaces 128 defined across a bottom of the interiorcavity 106 such as by the interior of the finger groove 72. When thelatch 16 is fully inserted into the female connector component 14 asshown in the position of FIGS. 4 and 5, the spring arms 122 aretypically at least partially deflected from an original position byeither the abutment surfaces 116 and/or the pad surfaces 128.Accordingly, the spring arms 122 are constantly applying a force to pushthe release button 66 upwardly to the latched position, which is what isshown in these FIGS. 4 and 5.

Turning with reference now to FIG. 5, the latch plate 120 of the latch16 is shown in cross section as it extends through the axial gap andalong the latch track 112 in the latched position. The latch plate 120includes a generally rectangular shaped plate defined by opposing sidebeams 130 extending from the release button 66 down to a curvedoccluding portion 132 extending across the bottom of the latch plate 120adjacent to the opening 38 in the female distal end 36 and configured tobe substantially aligned with the contour of the rounded bottom surface68 in the latched position as shown in FIG. 5. The opposing side beams130 include radially outwardly facing edges 134 including opposingprojections 136 configured to snap into engagement with the detents 114on the latch track 112. The abutment of these opposing projections 136with the detents 114 prevents the latch 16 from being forced upwardlybeyond the latched position shown in these figures. Moreover, the latchplate 120 is guided to move upwardly and downwardly transverse to theaxial direction by the latch track 112.

The opposing side beams 130 and curved occluding portion 132 define anelongate latch opening 138 axially through the rectangular shaped plateand located below the release button 66. This elongate latch opening 138is large enough to receive the male distal end 24 of the male connectorcomponent 12 in both the latched and unlatched positions described infurther detail below. The curved occluding portion 132 includes atapered lead-in surface 140 facing towards the opening 38 in the femaledistal end 36 and located in the latching position across at least aportion of the receptacle 40, as most clearly shown in FIG. 5. Thistapered lead-in surface 140 assists the male connector component 12 inautomatically forcing the curved occluding portion 132 out of the wayduring insertion of the male distal end 24 into the receptacle 40, alsodescribed in further detail below.

With the unitary or integrally formed latch 16 of this invention, theassembly of the female connector component 14 is a simple one-stepprocess. After the latch 16 has been molded or manufactured so as toinclude the release button 66, the latch plate 120, and the spring arms122 as a single piece of material and after the connector housing 34 isformed with the second fluid conduit 30, the latch 16 is pusheddownwardly through the top side 62 of the connector housing 34 so thatthe opposing side beams 130 of the latch plate 120 engages with thelatch track 112. The latch track 112 formed by the standoffs 108 willdeform slightly outwardly to enable passage of the thickest portion ofthe latch plate 120 at the opposing projections 136. Once the opposingprojections 136 snap into engagement with the detents 114 in the latchtrack 112, the spring arms 122 will be slightly deflected and willtherefore bias the latch 16 to remain in this latched position. Withthis single assembly step, the female connector component 14 is readyfor use with the male connector component 12 to form the fluid conduitconnector 10.

In addition to reducing the complexity and time needed to assemble thefemale connector component 14, the integrally formed spring arms 122 onthe latch also provide additional benefits. To this end, the integralconnection of the spring arms 122 to the release button 66 minimizes oreliminates any connector failures caused by misalignments and movementsof spring elements relative to the latch 16. Moreover, the provision oftwo redundant spring arms 122 on either side of the release button 66ensures that even if one of the spring arms 122 were to break or loseresiliency, the other spring arm 122 would still bias the latch 16 intothe latched position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Such redundancy wouldincrease complexity and cost in conventional connector assemblies withseparated parts, but not in the present invention because the integralformation of the latch 16 keeps the assembly a one-step process.

Further details of the fluid conduit connector 10 and the connecting anddisconnecting operation enabled by the fluid conduit connector 10 areshown in FIGS. 6 through 7B. Beginning with FIG. 6, this cross-sectionalview of the fluid conduit connector 10 shows the male and femaleconnector components 12, 14 assembled into a sealed connection. To reachthis position from an initial separated position shown in FIG. 2, themale distal end 24 is first inserted into and through the opening 38 atthe female distal end 36. The male distal end 24 will then run into thetapered lead-in surface 140 of the curved occluding portion 132 of thelatch plate 120, which extends across a portion of the receptacle 40 andthereby blocks the male distal end 24. However, the continued insertionof the male distal end 24 and the seal flange 84 towards the receptacle40 will force the tapered lead-in surface 140 to ride downwardly in atransverse direction to the axial direction that the male connectorcomponent 12 is moving. This movement forces the latch 16 into theunlatched position, and the spring arms 122 are further deflected fromthe original position. Once the male distal end 24 has been insertedinto the receptacle 40 to the extent where the latch plate 120encounters the latch catch groove 96, the curved occluding portion 132of the latch plate 120 will snap into engagement with the latch catchgroove 96 since the male connector component 12 no longer blocks areturn of the latch 16 to the latched position. Upon the return to thelatched position, the latch 16 retains the male connector component 12by being inserted into the latch catch groove 96 as shown in FIG. 6.

Although the curved occluding portion 132 of the latch plate 120includes the tapered lead-in surface 140 facing distally towards theopening 38 in the female distal end 36, in order to enable automaticmovement of the latch 16 out of the way during insertion of the maleconnector component 12 into the female connector component 14, thecurved occluding portion 132 also includes a radial flat surface 142dropping off at 90 degrees from the axial direction and facingproximally on the other side of the tapered lead-in surface 140. Thisradial flat surface 142 rigidly abuts the shoulder 94 of the latchingflange 90 delimiting the latch catch groove 96 in order to prevent thelatch 16 from unlatching just by pulling the male connector component 12back away from the receptacle 40. This abutment of the radial flatsurface 142 and the shoulder 94 is shown in FIG. 6. Consequently, thelatch 16 must be intentionally actuated by depressing the release button66 against the bias of spring arms 122 to move into the unlatchedposition in order to enable disconnection of the male connectorcomponent 12 from the female connector component 14.

Once the latch 16 has releasably engaged with the latch catch groove 96,the fluid conduit connector 10 is in a fully assembled state as shown inFIGS. 1 and 6. In this fully assembled state, the first and secondelongate bores 22, 32 are located substantially adjacent to one anotherfor fluid communication directly from the first fluid conduit 20 to thesecond fluid conduit 30 (or vice versa). A small gap may remain betweenthe male distal end 24 and the receptacle 40, but the seal member 88 issealingly engaged with the wall of the receptacle 40 in this fullyassembled position to block any leakage or pressure loss from the firstand second elongate bores 22, 32. Therefore, contamination to and fromthe flexible tubing portions is prevented, making the fluid conduitconnector 10 suitable for use in hygienic applications such as inbiopharmaceutical fluid management. Furthermore, in the fully assembledstate, the adjacent or engaged relationship between the plurality oflugs 98 and the slightly conical annular periphery 100 as well asbetween the distal face 50 of the grip flange 48 and the female distalend 36 are shown in these views. These engagements assist with transferof any side load or axial load applied to one or both of the male andfemale connector components 12, 14.

Because the seal member 88 tends to form a highly frictional resistanceto movement against the receptacle 40, the receptacle 40 is also formedin this embodiment with an elongate tapered lead-in bore section 144that reduces in size along a substantial portion of the receptacle 40 asshown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. Accordingly, the seal member 88 does not enterthe high frictional engagement with the receptacle 40 until the maledistal end 24 is nearly fully inserted into the receptacle 40.Therefore, the resistance to movement into and out of the fullyassembled position is reduced in this fluid conduit connector 10compared to conventional designs without the elongate tapered lead-inbore section 144.

When it is necessary to disconnect the male and female connectorcomponents 12, 14 from the fully assembled position shown in FIG. 6, auser grasps the female connector component 14 at the finger groove 72and at the release button 66. The user then depresses the release button66 downwardly into the interior cavity 106 of the connector housing 34against the bias of the spring arms 122 such as indicated by arrow 146in FIG. 7A. This downward movement transverse to the axial direction toan unlatched position causes the curved occluding portion 132 of thelatch plate 120 to be moved out of engagement with the latch catchgroove 96 in the male connector component 12. After reaching thisunlatched position, the user grasps the male connector component 12 suchas at the grip flange 48 and pulls the male distal end 24 away from thereceptacle 40 as indicated by arrow 148 in FIG. 7B. Once the male distalend 24 is completely removed from the receptacle 40, the male connectorcomponent 12 no longer pushes the latch 16 into the unlatched positionand the latch 16 returns as a result of bias of the spring arms 122 backto the latched position as shown in FIG. 7B. The male and femaleconnector components 12, 14 are then ready for re-connection simply byreversing the steps described above to move from the position shown inFIG. 7B to the position shown in FIG. 6 again.

As discussed in detail above, the first embodiment of the fluid conduitconnector 10 provides several advantageous benefits in this field ofconnector assemblies. First, the integral formation of multiple springarms 122 on the latch 16 provides both redundancy to protect againstconnector failure and a significantly simplified manufacturing andsnap-in assembly process for the latch 16 and the connector housing 34.In addition, the latch 16 continues to automatically move out of theblocking or latched position when the male connector component 12 isinserted into the receptacle 40, thereby not requiring additional stepsto connect the two connector components 12, 14. Each of the male andfemale connector components 12, 14 provides structures that make it easyto manually grasp and manipulate or move items such as the releasebutton 66 on the latch 16. Moreover, the contoured outer surfacepresented by the connector housing 34 and button shroud 64 avoidsexposing any sharp corners or edges 74 or pinch points that could catchon clothing or other equipment. The receptacle 40 also reducesfrictional resistance to intended movements along the axial direction asa result of the tapered lead-in bore section 144. Consequently, thefluid conduit connector 10 of this embodiment provides numerousimprovements to the connector assembly field.

With reference to FIGS. 8 through 13, an alternative embodiment of thefemale connector component 160 used with the fluid conduit connector 10is shown in detail. This alternative female connector component 160includes a lock mechanism 162 that interacts with the latch 16 and withthe connector housing 34 to provide additional security againstunintentional disconnection of the male and female connector components12, 160. The vast majority of features and elements described inconnection with the latch 16 and the female connector component 14 inthe embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 7B are also present and operate in thesame manner in this embodiment. Where those features are unchanged, thesame reference numbers have been applied in the drawing figures withoutadditional explanation in the description below. Modified elements havebeen provided with new reference numbers where appropriate, but it willbe understood that more or fewer components may be modified toaccommodate the addition of the lock mechanism 162 without departingfrom the scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, this embodiment of the female connectorcomponent 160 includes the lock mechanism 162, which is defined by alock slider 164 operatively engaged with a modified version of therelease button 166 on the latch 16. The modified release button 166includes some new aperture features described further below forinteraction with the lock slider 164, but otherwise is only modified byremoving some thickness to make space for the lock slider 164 to beinstalled on top of the release button 166. Consequently, the remainderof the latch 16, including the latch plate 120 and the spring arms 122,operate the same in this embodiment (e.g., automatic movement fromlatched position to unlatched position when inserting the male connectorcomponent 12, and manual depressing of the release button 166 againstthe spring bias to move back to the unlatched position) as in thepreviously described embodiment. Accordingly, the locking version of thefemale connector component 160 still provides all of the same advantagesdescribed above in connection with the first embodiment.

The lock slider 164 is shown in further detail in FIGS. 10 through 13.To this end, the lock slider 164 is a substantially planar memberconfigured to slide along a generally planar top surface 168 of therelease button 166 between a proximal unlocked position and a distallocked position. It will be appreciated that the unlocked and lockedpositions may be reversed by arranging some internal componentsdifferently in other embodiments. The lock slider 164 includes asubstantially planar lower surface 170, which is positioned to slidealong the top surface 168 of the release button 166, and a contouredupper surface 172 facing outwardly from the female connector component160. The contoured upper surface 172 may include a grip ridge 174configured to be pressed by the user when the lock slider 164 is movedbetween locked and unlocked positions and also include a fingerdepression 176 provided for additional grip. The contoured upper surface172 may also include a first visual indicia 178 configured to identifywhich movement direction causes the lock slider 164 to be in the lockedposition. Therefore, a user can readily understand and be assisted inmoving the lock slider 164 between positions as a result of thecontoured upper surface 172 and the first visual indicia 178.

The lock mechanism 162 also includes a pair of lock lugs 180 extendingdownwardly from the lower surface 170 of the lock slider 164. The pairof lock lugs 180 is inserted through elongated lug apertures 182provided through the release button 166 of the latch 16. In this regard,the lock lugs 180 extend into the interior cavity 106 formed in theconnector housing 34. Each of the lock lugs 180 includes a retentiondetent 184 extending laterally outward from the lock lug 180 so as tosnap into engagement under a corresponding elongate fin 186 projectingdownwardly from the release button 166 adjacent to each of the lugapertures 182. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 12 and 13, the retentiondetent 184 slides along the fin 186 to prevent the lock lugs 180 andlock slider 164 from being unintentionally pulled off of the latch 16.In addition, the lock lugs 180 provide an easy method for assembling thelock mechanism 162 with the latch 16 in this embodiment, as all thatneeds to be done is inserting the lock lugs 180 through the lugapertures 182 and snapping the retention detents 184 into engagementwith the fins 186. It will be understood that other retention structuresknown in the art may be used to hold the lock mechanism 162 to the latch16 in other embodiments of the present invention.

The lock mechanism 162 further includes a spring pin 188 extendingdownwardly from the lock slider 164 so as to be inserted through ashaped aperture 190 (shaped as a figure-8 in the illustrated embodiment)provided through the release button 166 of the latch 16. The figure-8shaped aperture 190 in the release button 166 is configured to deform soas to enable the spring pin 188 to move from a first portion of thefigure-8 shaped aperture 190 when in the locked position to a secondportion of the figure-8 shaped aperture 190 when in the unlockedposition. In this regard, the user must apply sufficient force to slidethe lock slider 164 between these positions, which requires thetemporary deformation of the figure-8 shaped aperture 190 with thespring pin 188. It will be understood that the spring pin 188 may beformed so as to be the deforming member (such as by being split into tworesilient portions movable relative to one another) during movementbetween the two portions of the shaped aperture 190. For example, theshaped aperture 190 may be reshaped to define a generally dog-bone (orbarbell) shape with two larger ends joined by an elongated narrowcorridor that forces deformation or contraction of the deformable springpin 188 in order to move through the narrow corridor from one endposition to another end position (e.g., the locked and unlockedpositions). In any event, the engagement of the spring pin 188 with thisshaped aperture 190 in the release button 166 prevents unintentionalmovements of the lock slider 164 between the locked and unlockedpositions. It will be understood that a different structure may beprovided on the lock slider 164 and the release button 166 to retain thelock slider 164 in the locked and unlocked positions in otherembodiments consistent with the scope of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the figure-8 shaped aperture 190 of thisembodiment is surrounded by adjacent deformation apertures 192 extendingthrough the release button 166. These deformation apertures 192 providethe space needed for the figure-8 shaped aperture 190 to deformoutwardly when the spring pin 188 moves between the locked and unlockedpositions. Also evident from FIGS. 10 and 11, the top surface 168 of therelease button 166 includes second visual indicia 194 in the form of thewords “LOCKED” and “UNLOCKED,” which may be alternatively revealed oruncovered to show the current state of the lock mechanism 162.Accordingly, a user can quickly glance at the female connector component160 and the top surface 168 to determine whether the lock mechanism 162is in a locked state or not.

The lock mechanism 162 is configured to interact with a standoff withinthe interior cavity 106 of the connector housing 34. To this end, thestandoffs 108 described in connection with the previous embodiment mayalso be used to interact with the lock lugs 180 of this embodiment. Ifnecessary, it will be understood that the standoffs 108 could bemodified to extend to a position in which the lock lugs 180 can interactwith the standoffs 108. As shown most particularly in thecross-sectional views of FIGS. 12 and 13, the lock lugs 180 move from alocation over an empty portion of the interior cavity 106 in theunlocked position to another location over the standoffs 108 in thelocked position (this movement shown by arrow 196 in FIGS. 11 and 13).In the locked position, downward movement of the lock lugs 180 (andtherefore also downward movement of the release button 166) is preventedby the abutment of the lock lugs 180 and the standoffs 108 locatedunderneath the lock lugs 180. In this position, the latch 16 cannot beautomatically or manually moved from the latched position to theunlatched position. When the lock lugs 180 are positioned over the emptyportion of the interior cavity 106 as shown in FIG. 12, there is nostructure blocking downward movement of the lock lugs 180 and therelease button 166. Therefore, the release button 166 and the latch 16may be actuated normally between the latched and unlatched positionswhen the lock mechanism 162 is in the unlocked position.

The addition of the lock mechanism 162 to the female connector component160 of this embodiment allows for a positive securing of the latch 16 inthe latched position, which may be desirable in high load or highpressure fluid applications, among others. In addition, the lockmechanism 162 is also formed as a unitary piece including the lockslider 164, the lock lugs 180, and the spring pin 188 for one-stepsnap-on assembly to the release button 166 of the latch 16.Consequently, the female connector component 160 is assembled in twoeasy steps, specifically, snapping the lock mechanism 162 on the latch16 and snapping the latch 16 into the connector housing 34 (these snapconnections may be performed in any order). The lock mechanism 162 isconfigured for quick and easy actuation between the locked and unlockedpositions, which provides additional benefits and protection in additionto those described above for the first embodiment. In sum, the fluidconduit connector 10 of all described embodiments enables reliablesecured connection of fluid conduits with a simple to manufacture anduse assembly.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description ofvarious preferred embodiments and while these embodiments have beendescribed in some detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant torestrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to suchdetail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear tothose skilled in the art. The various features of the invention may beused alone or in any combination depending on the needs and preferencesof the user. This has been a description of the present invention, alongwith the preferred methods of practicing the present invention ascurrently known. However, the invention itself should only be defined bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A male connector, comprising: a shaft including adistal end portion and a proximal end portion, the shaft defining alumen extending between the distal end portion and the proximal endportion, wherein: the distal end portion comprises: a sealing memberconfigured to engage a female connector to create a fluid-tight sealwhen the distal end portion of the male connector is inside the femaleconnector; a latch catch groove proximal to the sealing member, thelatch catch groove configured to engage a latch of the female connectorto retain the distal end portion of the male connector inside the femaleconnector; a grip extending from an outer surface of at least part ofthe shaft, the grip being proximal to the latch catch groove; and atleast one lug extending distally from the grip partially along the outersurface of the shaft; and the proximal end portion comprises a barbconfigured to engage a section of tubing.
 2. The male connector of claim1, wherein the at least one lug comprises a first lug and a second lugopposing the first lug, the second lug extending distally from the grippartially along the outer surface of the shaft.
 3. The male connector ofclaim 2, wherein the at least one lug further comprises the first lug,the second lug, a third lug circumferentially between the first lug andthe second lug, and a fourth lug opposing the third lug, the third lugand the fourth lug extending distally from the grip partially along theouter surface of the shaft.
 4. The male connector of claim 1, whereinthe at least one lug extends orthogonally from the outer surface of theshaft.
 5. The male connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one lug isconfigured to engage a periphery of an opening in the female connectorto at least partially transfer radial or side loads between the maleconnector and the female connector.
 6. The male connector of claim 1,wherein the distal end portion further comprises a latching flangeextending radially from the outer surface of the shaft, the latchingflange being directly distal of the latch catch groove.
 7. The maleconnector of claim 6, wherein the latching flange is perpendicular withrespect to an axis of the lumen, and the latch catch groove is distallydefined by the latching flange.
 8. The male connector of claim 7,wherein the latch catch groove is proximally defined by the grip, andincludes a bottom region connecting the latching flange and the grip,with the bottom region being concentric and recessed radially inwardwith respect to the sealing member.
 9. The male connector of claim 6,wherein distal end portion further comprises at least one rib extendingpartially along the outer surface of the shaft from the sealing memberto the latching flange.
 10. The male connector of claim 9, wherein theat least one rib comprises a first rib and a second rib opposing thefirst rib, the second rib extending partially along the outer surface ofthe shaft from the sealing member to the latching flange.
 11. The maleconnector of claim 10, wherein the at least one rib further comprisesthe first rib, the second rib, a third rib circumferentially between thefirst rib and the second rib, and a fourth rib opposing the third rib,the third rib and the fourth rib extending partially along the outersurface of the shaft from the sealing member to the latching flange. 12.The male connector of claim 1, wherein the grip extends radially fromthe outer surface of the shaft to define a flange around the shaft. 13.The male connector of claim 12, wherein the flange defines a contourededge including a plurality of finger grips for facilitating gripping ofthe grip.
 14. The male connector of claim 1, wherein the proximal endportion further comprises an annular channel that extends distally fromthe barb.
 15. The male connector of claim 14, wherein the annularchannel has a constant outer diameter.
 16. The male connector of claim14, wherein the proximal end portion further comprises a wideningportion that extends distally from the annular channel, the wideningportion gradually widening in outer diameter from the annular channeltowards the grip.
 17. The male connector of claim 1, wherein the distalend portion further comprises a seal flange distal of the sealingmember, the seal flange having a larger diameter than the latch catchgroove.
 18. The male connector of claim 17, wherein the sealing memberis received within a seal groove that is proximal of the seal flange.19. The male connector of claim 1, wherein the section of tubing is atubing section of a blood pressure cuff.
 20. A quick connect fluidconduit connector, comprising: the male connector of claim 1; and thefemale connector comprising: a release button; a latch plate extendingfrom the release button and configured to be releasably retained in thelatch catch groove of the male connector; and at least one spring arm tobias the latch plate towards a latched position in which the latch plateengages the latch catch groove to prevent removal of the male connectorfrom the female connector.